1948 Tucker ’48, Barn Find Survivor

Preston Tucker and his revolutionary car took the American car market by storm. The Tucker ’48 was an overnight sensation attracting huge crowds everywhere it showed up. People rushed to buy accessories that would get them a place in line for a car. Dealers flooded Tucker with requests to buy a dealer franchise. This was no surprise when you consider the array of features that this car had. These features included:

And the most recognized feature… the center headlight that lights your way into a turn!

Only 51 of these incredible cars were produced and today 47 still exist. The majority of them are in major museums, such as The Henry Ford Museum, The Peterson Museum and the Nethercutt Museum. Their amazing attributes along with a storied history have made these the most valuable, postwar American sedan of all time!

This particular offering is chassis #1044. It is a proper, very well preserved example with only 7,900 original miles on it. the car has spent the last 33 years locked away in a farm building. Since extracting it from its lengthy slumber, we have recommissioned it. The fuel and ignition systems have been serviced along with the brakes and all of the fluids. A new shift selector switch has been installed and the water pump and fan have been rebuilt. Lastly, 5 new, proper black wall Firestone tires were installed. Now it runs and drives great. These are amazing cars to operate and are clearly superior to their contemporaries of the time.

This car was originally Andante’ Green with a Green wool broadcloth interior. In 1972 it received new paint and a color change in addition to a fresh interior.

The condition of this car is quite remarkable. As you’ll see in the photographs, the undercarriage is completely rust free and displays its original floor pans, still painted and beautiful. The body is also rust free and incredibly clean. The paint is another story, its falling off in large areas. It appears that the 1972 repaint was deficient in proper prep. The drive train is nothing short of fantastic. It runs, drives and stops amazingly well. The lights, turn indicators and horn all work properly. The Speedometer, oil pressure gauge and volt meter work properly. In all, its pretty amazing!

Tuckers have become the most valuable post war American sedan in history. They are historically significant, mechanically fascinating and absolutely unique in style. In 2013 car #1043 sold at auction for $2,915,000.00